Fourth of July weekend weather: A cooldown in the Northeast, more heat in the Northwest

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
·3 min read

So, will the weather affect your Fourth of July celebrations?

Fortunately, for many folks, the answer will be no, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Domenica Davis.

There are some exceptions: Continued shower and thunderstorm chances will be found across the southern Rockies and Southeast through Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Scattered showers are also expected to linger throughout the Northeast early this weekend and could put a damper on early Independence Day celebrations, according to the weather service.

However, it isn't expected to be an all-day rain: "We're talking passing showers and thunderstorms," Davis said.

In addition, forecasters said there is now good model agreement on clearing skies across the Mid-Atlantic states by Sunday, the weather service said.

Parade spectators wave American flags during a Virginia Independence Day parade.
Parade spectators wave American flags during a Virginia Independence Day parade.

As for temperatures, folks wishing for a break from extreme heat in the Northeast are in luck, AccuWeather said: A cooldown is on the way to start the holiday weekend.

In Texas, following a recent soggy stretch, "thankfully we have had somewhat of a break for the ground to dry out but we are reentering a wetter pattern," Brian Kyle, lead forecaster at the weather service in Houston told CNN of the weekend weather forecast.

"Deeper gulf moisture will be moving into the area, along with daytime heating, will provide good chances of showers and storms each day," Kyle said.

The weather service in Dallas said "showers and thunderstorms remain possible into the upcoming holiday weekend, but it isn't expected to be a total washout."

Much of the parched Northwest will remain quite hot and dry through the weekend, forecasters said.

While places like Seattle will see temperatures come down a little, interior Washington and Oregon will continue to experience temperatures in the triple digits, CNN said. It won't be quite as hot as this past record-breaking weekend, but temperatures will run at least 20 degrees above normal in some locations.

Elsa approaches: Tropical Storm Elsa forms east of the Caribbean; South Florida may be in path next week

Other than some scattered afternoon thunderstorms in Arizona and New Mexico, the Southwest should stay dry, AccuWeather said, as should most of California. However, drought in much of the West has forced some fireworks celebrations to be cancelled because of the concern over wildfires.

A whopping 93% of the western U.S. is in some level of drought, according to Thursday's U.S. Drought Monitor. "Much of the West is classified as severe drought or worse," the monitor said.

Most of the middle of the country, from Denver to Chicago, should stay mild and dry for the holiday weekend, AccuWeather said. As the weather service in Chicago said Thursday, "Congratulations everyone – we made it to the end of the wet pattern! Our treat is a dry, sunny and warm 4th of July weekend."

Meanwhile, as the holiday weekend draws to a close Monday, attention will turn to the path of Tropical Storm Elsa, which is forecast to approach Florida early next week, the National Hurricane Center said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fourth of July weekend weather forecast: Plenty of sun, few showers